From the woodsy terrain of New York’s Hudson Valley comes a wayward songwriter with a seemingly infinite flow of inspiration: Justin Vreeland, a now-Savannah resident and sound design student at SCAD. Whether he’s plucking acoustic originals at The Sentient Bean or rocking out at El Rocko lounge, he and his music are taking Savannah by storm. In essence, the singer-songwriter has an ever-growing catalog of heartfelt, lively tunes, and he shows no signs of stopping.

In 2020, Vreeland released his debut EP, This is Justin Vreeland, and shortly after, his debut album, Death to Alt Rock, a spin on the punkish soundtrack of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Death to Alt Rock includes songs that parody the local New York alt rock scene such as Woodbury Commons, which pokes fun at the serious tone of the scene while alluding to the titular Orange County mall. “And that was just made in my basement in 2020,” Vreeland told me. “I had very little knowledge of recording.”

Vreeland made his humble voyage to Savannah shortly after the peak of the pandemic. Little did he know his musical journey was only just beginning when faced with the vast environment of the Hostess City. “Coming out of New York, I thought I was hot shit. I got a band together in middle school and we played a bunch of school functions…I played one show in New Paltz, and I played one or two graduation parties. So I thought I was pretty good,” he told me. “Then I came down to Savannah, and I realized, no one’s hiring this underage kid…I had to start busking on the street. I was a busker on River Street for about four months from September 2021 to about May 2022.”

His most recent album, I’d Be Invisible, showcases notes of southern rock and classic blues with folky, intimate, singer-songwriter lyricism, a contrast from his previous alt-rock and punk records. “There [were] a lot of recordings that were built into that. Some of them were made when I was in high school,” said Vreeland. “I wanted an album that represented my live sets, what I liked to play. Before that record came out, [at] most of the shows I was playing, either in New York or Savannah, the only reference people had was my very first EP, and then just Death to Alt Rock and A Space Tale.” In essence, I’d Be Invisible is Savannah’s formal introduction to Vreeland’s music. Songs like King of a Ghost Town, a lonesome bluegrass tune, was written years before the recording itself. “Lyrically, I think it’s a song about growing old,” Vreeland said. His inspiration stemmed from seeing Gordon Lightfoot for the first time, applying his storytelling approach to lyricism and “metaphorical voice” to the record.

I’d Be Invisible is story-driven, and while one might expect the album to be autobiographical, that’s not the case entirely. “A lot of my songs are based on pure fiction. You know, if I wrote songs totally about my life, then my discography would be pretty boring.” The authenticity stems from his fluid songwriting process. “A phrase pops into my head,” Vreeland said, referring to his ideation. “I mean, you know, a lot of [my lyrics] come from watching around me…sometimes you gotta just see things. You pick it all up.” 

His observational, semi-fictional method of songwriting dates back to his first EP, This is Justin Vreeland, particularly on the track It’s A Tragedy. “The second verse kind of parodies my first ever meeting with Patton Magee, who’s the lead singer of The Nude Party…I remember talking with him and you know, what do you do when you run into a musician and you’re a musician too? You don’t know what to say, so you start talking gear. So Shaun Couture, his lead guitarist, had this Danelectro DC ‘59 12 string. And I said, ‘hey, man, is that your guitar?’ He said, ‘oh no, that’s Shaun’s guitar.’” As Vreeland wrapped up the conversation, a run-of-the-mill musician-to-musician exchange about the struggle of finding gigs, “we shook hands. He walked off. He didn’t say it’s a tragedy, but I said it.” And a songworthy story was born from there.

With Vreeland finding inspiration from every angle, his discography is staggering, in fact, it’s so jam-packed with songs that he keeps a second Spotify account as an archive for demos and unreleased tracks: Justin Vreeland’s Workshop. When asked about his drive to produce such an impressive quantity of music, he told me, “It’s feverish…I just love writing, seeing if I can outdo myself. For the past three years, I’ve set a quota for myself, that I have to write 100 songs a year. And I’ve been doing that, I think, successfully. The idea is not 100 record ready songs each year. It’s kinda like working in a brewery. You’re throwing it all together, getting this massive vat of it. And all the cream that comes to the top is maybe those eight songs out of the 100 that you [put on the album].” And how do you even know which songs to include from such a collection? “It’s just whichever ones stick in your head the most.”

Justin Vreeand is a musician in every sense of the term: a singer, drummer, harmonicist, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter. A storyteller at heart with an uncontrollable urge to create, his current rig is stationed in SCAD’s own Barnard Village, where, naturally, more music is in the works. In terms of what’s next, Vreeland told me, “I’m going to try and parody all those old records from the 50s. I love those old blues players, like Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, the old Muddy Waters records.” Vreeland is always creating, driven by his nonstop passion and mighty need to rock. In other words, there’s always something new brewing inside the mind of Justin Vreeland.

The post Inside the Mind of Justin Vreeland appeared first on SCAD Radio.

“Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that God sends her shitty men until she chooses me. Amen!”

That’s the universal prayer of Girlfriend From Hell, Savannah Georgia’s beloved, bratty, punk trio. Made up of Bassist Nat Durham, guitarist Jaida Maceyko, and drummer Alix Lemiere, the Sav locals are kicking off the month of April with their killer debut EP, Get a Grip. 

Girlfriend from Hell incorporates tongue-in-cheek lyrics similar to modern girl bands such as Dazey and the Scouts and Mommy Long Legs with the defiant outrage of classic riot grrrl groups like Bikini Kill. The songs showcase a mix of meaningful activism and dark humor, drenched in the band’s bombastic and fierce personality throughout the record as a whole. Durham’s verdriven bass lines, Maceyko’s deep, crunchy guitar riffs and Lemiere’s energetic drum rhythms create a classic, hardcore punk tone, while Durham’s shrieking vocals call a certain audience out on their bullshit (No Respect) as well as tell stories of drunk decisions (Shots) and forgotten birthday presents (Kitty Flask). 

While a comic tone is present in some of their songs, they’re not to be listened to through that lens exclusively. For example, take Bikini Car Wash, a tirade about the absurd cost of living, with a twist. The tune begins with grievances about paying bills and the overpricing of basic human necessities such as groceries. The band then proceeds to chant, “Overworked and underpaid, my hips deserve a raise!” encouraging the audience/listener to sing along. The chorus, “Capitalism has stripped me down, all I have is my bikini now,” is as thought-provoking as it is playful, a mere wink to the listener mid-mosh.

Before the release of Get A Grip, Girlfriend teased the EP with their first single, AMEN!, in July 2023. According to Girlfriend, the song is a rebellious reclamation of all the vulgar comments men have said to them. Every single line is drawn from some sort of misogynistic statement, resulting in a fed-up two-minute tune that any femme-presenting listener could relate to. The song features quick, engaging tempo changes between the verse and chorus, with a nasty breakdown kicked off by the clever line “rock, paper, let me watch you guys scissor.” What’s even more brilliant about AMEN! is that by singing along, not only are you releasing frustration towards the disgusting comments, you’re also participating in them. The song raises the question of how you, the listener, might contribute to the patriarchy, while simultaneously allowing you to stick your middle finger in its ugly, stupid, face. 

What’s most important about this EP, however, is the sheer volume of their voices when declaring, “We’re Girlfriend from Hell, and we want revolution Savannah style now!” in their song, To The Front. The song is fast and furious, and, in the fashion of Kathleen Hanna, invites traditionally less welcomed communities to get the fuck up to the front: queer folks, trans folks, anyone “punished by the police state,” those fighting against poverty or for sobriety. In essence, Girlfriend From Hell has everyone’s back, and if they must revolt, so be it. 

Get a Grip is bold, unapologetic, raw, and original. Girlfriend From Hell acknowledges the collective anger of queer, trans, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities, and makes art with it, while allowing themselves to have fun with their craft. So whether you’re whipping out your handle of Tito’s and jamming to Shots, or getting out your frustration to No Respect, there’s no denying Get a Grip is bound to connect with any punk rocker that stumbles upon it. Amen to that!

The post Say AMEN! to Girlfriend From Hell’s Debut EP appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Photo courtesy of Maya Eiben.

“It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the bite of the dog,” chants AJ Grey, prowling through the crowd at El Rocko lounge, piercing fans with an inescapable gaze. Self-described as “grunge with a kiss of metal,” The Maxines are a Savannah-based band bursting at the seams with love for their craft and devotion to their message. With an authentic approach to lyricism and organic method of composing their songs, they’re taking the local scene by storm, attracting a diverse cult of dedicated music fans. Consisting of singer AJ Grey, Emma Smith on bass, and twins Maddie and Coco Oke on guitar and drums, this headbanging quartet is full of femme rage and a call for change, whether you like it or not. 

The Maxines formed in 2021, a year in which “we all felt a little lost,” as described by Grey. “I had tried to form bands in the past, and they never worked. And I was like, okay, I’m going to try one more time, but this time, it’s going to be with all women.” Smith joined the band shortly after the album release bash in 2023. “Emma was always at our shows,” said Grey. “So she already knew all the songs.”

One of the band’s defining qualities happens to be their identity as a girl band. “In this world, we have to [support each other], because we’re always having to fight for our space and fight for our right to claim our space. And so to be surrounded by other women that are aware of that…that is really empowering,” Grey told me, describing the band as a singular ecosystem rather than a collection of separate entities. “When I’m on stage with these women, it is only support. Only this feeling of, ‘we’re gonna crush it. I support you, I believe in you.’” 

And the on-stage chemistry is impossible to miss. As Grey charges into the audience, Coco and Smith hold down the fort with a rhythm section comparable to clockwork, tied together by Maddie’s ethereal guitar playing. Each band member deeply engages with their individual instrument while staying in tune with each other simultaneously, producing a pristine sound that is true to the studio recordings of their debut album, Skin Tight.

Released on October 1st, 2023, Skin Tight is a heavy, grungy album dripping with anger, passion, and electric, masterful musicianship. Opening with the defiant tune Salmon Pants, the band unapologetically channels a collective outrage against the patriarchy and explores a broad yet universal truth: reflecting on how women face the audacity of men on an all-too-frequent basis, primarily in public spaces. The song doesn’t hold back: as the guitar builds up with fury and the drums louden, Grey sings, “Fuck your shitty integrity, fuck your condescending approval, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

While The Maxines embody plenty of feminine fury, their lyrical subject matter covers more than just issues unique to women. “We’re not talking about specific gendered issues necessarily all the time. It’s just human issues,” said Maddie. 

Take their title track, Skin Tight, a perfect example of everything The Maxines stands for: a call to action, specifically, a call to “go against it,” according to Grey. Skin Tight is more than an invitation to the listener, it’s a challenge. Challenging their listeners is one of the many things The Maxines do best, asking, “Don’t you cry for him? Don’t you moan for him? Don’t you bleed for him?” on top of a heavy, Alice In Chains-esque riff and a headbang-worthy rhythm. 

“We’re very prone to stay comfortable,” Grey told me. “And in order to stay comfortable, we keep our mouths shut. We put our blinders on. We protect our hearts by not exposing them.” 

While their lyrics are an important aspect of their band identity, it would be a sin not to touch upon what the band refers to as “The Maxines Sound,” a unique mixture of each member’s influences. Grey’s stage presence and vocal cadences stem from that of femme rock legends like Joan Jett and Gwen Stefani. The Oke twins credit bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and other alt rock legends, along with heavier grunge bands of the 1990s. 

“One of [the] biggest bands that I love is Stone Temple Pilots,” said Smith. She also credits Alice in Chains, alongside classic rock bands and contemporary rock. “I’m a ‘Rock Band’ kid. So, anything that was on there or Guitar Hero.”

“When it comes to the Maxines sound, I think that that kind of goes back to how we operate as a band…being like one ecosystem,” said Grey. Originally, Salmon Pants was a thrashy, eight minute long tune, until the band settled on toning it down to fit their grungier spirit. The band credits their instinctive chemistry as a group when it comes to their free-flowing songwriting process, which relies on their instrumental communication when building, changing and evolving their songs. This results in that authentic, raw, emotionally-driven feel.

The Maxines debuted a fresh new tune, Bloodstains, live at El Rocko lounge in early February. It’s passionate, gritty, and features a killer bass riff. “The idea behind that song is [that] I kind of have a problem with people jumping on a train just for the sake of jumping on the train,” said Grey. “My parents have always told me, do your own research, be inquisitive, ask your own questions…so I kind of just have a problem with things not being authentic, and things not being real.” 

Bloodstains is also one of the first songs written with Smith. “I’’ve never written anything before. So it’s really [great] to get creative with learning new things. And [Bloodstains] was very fun to write with them, because…everybody has ideas here and there for each other’s [musical] parts,” Smith told me.

In terms of what’s next, the band hopes to start branching out into other Southern states, as well as playing with some experimentation on their next album. “We’re doing some things that we haven’t done before, which is really exciting,” said Grey. With a debut like Skin Tight, it’s only natural to get pumped about what’s happening behind the scenes. You can catch The Maxines at local venues such as Lodge of Sorrows and El Rocko lounge for a hard and heavy theatrical performance, as well as Southbound Brewery on May 4th for the Hello Summer Fiesta. 

With that being said, The Maxines are bound to leave a legacy behind on the Savannah music scene, which is exploding with a variety of other hard rock, metal, and punk bands. An experience a live show with The Maxines is nothing short of special, and, most importantly, inclusive. “You can tell [the Savannah music scene] is a safe space for a lot of people,” said Coco. 

“For us to be offering that space where [everyone] can just come and they can just be their authentic selves and feel safe and loved and and feel like they belong,” said Grey, “that’s an honor.” The band is living proof that dedication to their cause doesn’t only benefit their image, but those that engage with the band. The Maxines are near and dear to Savannah, forming a bond with the city, the scene, and the music lovers involved, that is, for lack of a better term, Skin Tight.

The post Real Talk With The Maxines appeared first on SCAD Radio.